how much tummy time per day?

[ebbb]

Hi, just wondering how much tummy time everyone gives their babies and is there a recommended amount of tummy time per day? Also, any suggestions for making it more enjoyable for DD if she starts to get fussy on her tummy?

[Aufilia]

We didn't do much tummy time with DS. He didn't much like it, and didn't have anything to do. The whole point of tummy time is to let them practice their head control, strengthen their neck, and NOT lay on the back of their head. So DS spent a good amount of time in our mei tai or sling and very little at all on his tummy. Plus since he was refluxy, being upright really kept him much happier in general.

[busymama77]

As much as he will stand. At first, it was all new to him but now that he's able to hold his head up longer, push himself up a bit and sort of twist around to find new things, he seems to enjoy it more. He's 5months old. If he seems to get fussy, I just put a small toy in front of him that makes noise and that he can pick up.

[Tway]

DD hated being on her tummy for months--I'd just put her down a few seconds every day, until she got really fussy. Even just after changing her diaper, I'd flip her around for a little bit. I'd also put her on her playmat on her back for awhile, then flip her to her tummy.

Don't worry too much about how much time you put your LO on their tummy or how often. Just try when you can. Eventually they accept being on their tummy, then roll over, then crawl... then you hardly remember tummy time at all! Enjoy and know it all works out.

[Knitting Mama]

Cecilia hated tummy time for the first few months of her life. I didn't stress it because I wore her upright constantly, so her head, neck and trunk strength and control built up really well. Now that she can roll over both ways at 4 months old, she likes tummy time a lot better, and I give her as much as I can so that she can get practice learning how to pull her knees under herself for crawling later on.

EDIT: Suggestions to make it more enjoyable. Nothing worked for Cece at first, but now she likes having toys scattered around her that she can grab.

[P.J.]

I guess I'm pretty lucky since DS started rolling from back to tummy at about 8 weeks, so I don't have to create any tummy time for him. Usually when he's in his active phase all I do is lay him on the floor & he rolls right over onto his tummy. In fact I have to limit it because he gets really worked up and frustrated after some time~ anywhere from 3-15 minutes depending on his mood. I then take him into the other room to cool down and distract him. I would say he spends maybe a total of 1 hour max. per day on his belly. I've found one way to extend the time when he gets frustrated is to just get down there and sort of stick my head right in front of him so he can see me and talk to and play with him, then maybe put him on my belly, which also counts as tummy time. I read that if frustration is a problem then you can put the baby on their tummy on the bed and you get near the edge of the bed on the floor so your head's at his level and you can talk and play from there, plus the soft bed may be more comfortable for the baby.

[paxye]

Never did tummy time because I don't believe that it is needed when a baby is being worn often and not in a contraption all day. There is no reason for it.

If you are babywearing, no tummy time is needed, their muscles will develop in the way they are meant to..

[NSmomtobe]

I don't think we did tummy time for more than a couple of minutes/WEEK until he was at least 2 months old. I started taking him to a play group when he was about 2 months and he would be put on his tummy on a mat with other babies, and they gradually started to hate it less as they looked around at each other.

[limette]

Originally Posted by paxye

Never did tummy time because I don't believe that it is needed when a baby is being worn often and not in a contraption all day. There is no reason for it.

If you are babywearing, no tummy time is needed, their muscles will develop in the way they are meant to..

We never did with our two and won't with number 3. I don't really see much point.

[Ninetales]

I quite literally never did tummy time with Elsa. I've worn her almost daily since six weeks and held her upright when she was awake. She started rolling over at almost four months and is very close to sitting unassisted now at 5.5 months.

[octobermom]

a ton but thats only because my LO loves her tummy she fusses if shes on her back for more and a few seconds but her tummy makes her happy pretty much endlessly.


Deanna

[octobermom]

Originally Posted by paxye

Never did tummy time because I don't believe that it is needed when a baby is being worn often and not in a contraption all day. There is no reason for it.

If you are babywearing, no tummy time is needed, their muscles will develop in the way they are meant to..

oh and this my LO gets tummy time when shes is put down because thats the position shes likes but not for some developmental reason.

Deanna

[Hannah32]

nak

maybe 1/2 hour per day. he likes it and can occasionally flip back over o it turns into back time. we bought a convertible car seat, so he gets carried quite a bit, along w slings. his neck seems pretty steady for 6.5 weeks.

[St. Margaret]

I would kind of do it here and there, but DD didn't love it. I wore her all day anyway, so she was fine

[ebbb]

thanks for the feedback. My DD is 3 1/2 months old, and she has great head and neck control and trunk strength (at least I think she does because I am a first time mom and have nothing to compare it to). She is either in my arms or sitting up (with support) when she is awake, and when I do put her on her tummy she can lift her head up pretty far, I just worry that she isn't getting enough time to develop her arm strength to push herself up on her arms and forearms. She only does it for a few seconds at a time. Does anyone know at what point babies actually do this? Maybe I am getting a little a head of myself with worry.

[EmTheWife]

my ds is the same age, and seems to be at the same place, developmentally, that you describe. He'll push himself up and look around and then back down again. We tease that he's doing push-ups. Sometimes he'll pull his legs up underneath and get his hips up in the air, and his face smooshed in the floor - he thinks its hilarious! your babe sounds normal

[hapi2help]

I was just reading the "ages and stages" article that includes some great info on tummy time and its importance outside of just "getting off their backs".

[EdnaMarie]

Both of mine seemed to like or at least tolerate tummy time, so a lot. If I had a child who didn't, I'd put her tummy-to-tummy on me to let her practice more. I think you can just leave her on her tummy for awhile and let her play. Put some toys for her to grab at. I'm sure she's fine.

[Asiago]

Originally Posted by ebbb

thanks for the feedback. My DD is 3 1/2 months old, and she has great head and neck control and trunk strength (at least I think she does because I am a first time mom and have nothing to compare it to). She is either in my arms or sitting up (with support) when she is awake, .

I was just reading in an article pertaining to 'container-syndrome' and 'containerization', over use of bouncy seats, strollers, infant car seats, etc, (yep, these are real terms now) at least two hours for babies on tummy is recommended and no more than three hours in 'containers' per day.

It doesn't sound as if your baby is in that group though so tummy time likely may not be much of an issue.

Since doctors also advise parents to put babies on their backs to sleep, the result can be a flattened skull like Jacob's, and in more severe cases - developmental delay.

"If you can't hold your head up, you're not going to be able to crawl very well."

When a baby is strapped in the container, his neck is immobilized, preventing him from using all the muscles needed to grow normally. This can delay crawling, walking, sitting and even speaking.

"In the past, we didn't have all these devices and kids spent a lot more time on the floor, playing with toys."

To prevent problems, put babies on their tummies as much as possible, but at least two hours a day once babies turn six months. Carry them instead of putting them in the "containers" and limit the time they spend in the devices to three hours a day or less.

http://www.newschannel5.com/Global/story.asp?S=8783294

[Ninetales]

Elsa wasn't able to support her upper body on her arms until after she'd started rolling over. Her first week of rolling herself onto her tummy it looked like it was kind of hard for her to hold herself up, but within about a week or two she was doing it like a champ.